Main pic: The remains of Donna McDermott being carried to her final resting place. Pic: North West NewsPix.
The Funeral Mass for Inishowen crash victim, Donna McDermott, today heard she was ‘a huge livewire with a bubbly personality who endeared herself to many.’
Ms McDermott, who was from Ballymacarthur, Greencastle and in her mid-thirties, died following a two car collision at Quigley’s Point at 11.15pm on Friday night.
The driver of the car she was travelling in, her mother Mary, who is in her 70s, and her partner Robert, were both rushed to Altnagelvin Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the second car, a teenage male, was uninjured and later arrested over the incident.
Mary was released from hospital to attend her beloved daughter’s funeral and lay on a stretcher, accompanied by medical staff, at the foot of her coffin at the front of a packed St Mary’s Church, Ballybrack, near Greencastle.
There were heartbreaking scenes as Mary led Donna’s coffin as it left the church on her final journey while the choir sang a powerful rendition of ‘My Donegal’.
The late Donna McDermott.
Local Parish Priest, Fr Colm O’Doherty, said the community found themselves in a ‘strange situation’ in that they had to deal with a young life being taken away so suddenly.
He said it was ‘impossible to find the right words’, but revealed a poignant moment at the scene of the crash when he was giving Donna the last rites.
“The moving point for me was when I was kneeling down beside Donna and members of the emergency services formed a circle around me in prayer,” Fr O’Doherty said.
“I’d like to thank them for the help and dignity they showed to Donna. That just showed how special this community is. They rally around and cannot do enough for any family in need. It’s a reminder of a special gift of togetherness – never underestimate that.”
Fr O’Doherty said the huge crowds that attended her wake and funeral gave an indication of how highly she was thought of.
“Donna was a huge livewire and her bubbly personality endeared her to many over the years,” he said.
There were lighthearted moments too when the Parish Priest reminded everyone there were ‘not many things she didn’t have a go at’.
Her sporting endeavours included soccer, GAA, basketball, ‘which she was very good at’ and darts.
The offertory gifts included a Moville GAA jersey, a family photograph and a set of darts.
Fr O’Doherty also said Donna made many new friends in the Centra shop in Moville where she worked.
“It’s a pity that Donna did not realise fully how much she was loved,” he added.
“She mattered most to her own family and it’s so good to see wee Mary here today and I’d like to wish her a speedy recovery from her injuries. I hope she can take comfort from the community here today.”
Donna was laid to rest afterwards in Ballybrack Graveyard.
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